How environmentally friendly are you?
We're doing our best to minimise our environmental impact. Here are a few of our initiatives.
Trees Not Tees For all the events where we include a t-shirt, we're now offering the option to plant a tree instead. We've partnered with
Treesnottees.com to make this happen.
Avoiding Single Use Plastics For 2022 we have sourced new paper cups designed to be fully recycled back into high grade paper. They look and feel exactly the same as conventional plastic coated, or PLA coated cups - The key difference is that these cups are actually optimised to be recycled back into high grade paper using conventional paper recycling equipment [Paper mills do not need to change or invest in new machinery]. This supports a circular economy where the valuable cup paper fibre can be recycled many times.
We are also looking at going fully cup less on some of our longer events - watch this space.. Our
cycling events are already largely cup less.
Zip Ties & waste We use reusable zip ties where ever possible. We minimise our use of disposable plastic and sort rubbish from our events into the relevant categories for recycling.
Reducing Car use In Devon where most of our events take place this is easier said than done. However at our Burrator 10K running race we offer a £5 discount to anyone who commits to walking or cycling to the event. We'll be looking to add this to other events in the future where feasible.
Will there be timing chips at your triathlons?
Yes, these are provided and should be attached with the velcro strap to your left ankle. Please ensure it is not covered up by a wetsuit or tracksuit or we may not be able to read your chip. Please return your chip at the end of the event.
Do I need to be a member of a club to enter?
No, all our events are open to all whether you're a member of a club or not.
My kid(s) want to try triathlon. How do they get started?
What Triathlon is all about?
Click here for our Guide to Junior Triathlons
Or to find a local junior triathlon club use the Club Find on the British Triathlon website -
www.britishtriathlon.org/clubs If you can't find a local triathlon club with a junior section the next best thing is to get your child involved with the local swimming club, running club or cycling club. For example
Mid Devon Cycling Club offers excellent junior bike coaching at Torbay Velopark for children aged 7 and above.
Can I get a refund or defer my registration to next year?
Sorry, we are not able to offer refunds as we start to incur costs as soon as we announce an event. However we now offer free name changes up to 7 days before an event with our booking software Eventrac. Just scroll to the bottom of your email receipt and click the link which says 'online receipt'. You will then see options to transfer your entry.
We are also happy to transfer your entry to a different event for an admin charge of £8 (£5 for under 16s) provided you contact us a minimum of 7 days before the date of the event. You will also need to pay any difference in price between the events.
Can I alter my registration between races on the same day (eg switch from the Sprint to the Supersprint triathlon)
Yes you can. If you are transferring to a more expensive option (eg moving from GO TRI to Sprint you will need to pay the difference. There is no partial refund if you are transferring to a shorter race. Just scroll to the bottom of your email receipt from Eventrac and click the link which says 'online receipt'. You will then see options to transfer your entry.
We are also happy to transfer your entry to a different event for a charge of £8 provided you contact us a minimum of 7 days before the date of the event.
How do age categories work and what is the minimum age to compete?
For triathlons & duathlons your age group or your child's age group is calculated from your age on 31st December in the year of the competition. If, for example, you are 39 but turn 40 on 30th December you will compete as a Vet 40 for the whole of that year. Similarly if your child is 7 but turns 8 in December they are eligible to enter any Tristar Start event.
For events on open roads the minimum age is 15 or 17 for the longer Standard/Olympic distance events. However for our Pool-based triathlons the minimum age is 8 by 31st Dec in the year of competition or 5 for the Torbay Triathlons. And at our
Donut Duathlon we have a mini duathlon with a bike or scoot followed by a run for children aged 3-7.
Just to confuse matters England Athletics (under whose rules we run most of our running events) use age on the day of the race instead of age at the end of the year.
Here is a summary of all the age groups (all ages are on 31st Dec of year of competition). Distances increase as children progress through TriStar. On our registration form just choose Tristar or Novice & you'll be automatically allocated to the correct category. The Novice events are aimed at children who are less confident swimmers or trying triathlon for the first time.
Mini Duathlon ages 3-7 (only at our Donut Duathlon)
Mini Tri age 5, 6 & 7 (only at our Tavistock & Torbay Triathlons)
Tristar Start aged 8 (includes 8 year old novices)
Tristar 1 - aged 9-10
Tristar 2 - aged 11-12
Tristar 3 - aged 13-14
Youth - aged 15-16
Junior - aged 17-19
Novice 1 - aged 9-10 (same distances as Tristar Start)
Novice 2 - aged 11-14 (same distances as Tristar 2)
Senior - aged 20-39
Vet 40 - aged 40-49
Vet 50 - aged 50-59
Vet 60 - aged 60-69
Vet 70 - aged 70+
What special kit do I need?
The special kit you need is minimal. There really is no need to buy expensive equipment before your first duathlon or triathlon
For Duathlons you need- A road worthy bike (hybrids, mountain bikes & gravel bikes are all fine)
- A helmet
- A pair of trainers to run and cycle in
- A waterproof jacket and some gloves in case the weather is bad
For our pool based triathlons you need- The equipment listed above for a duathlon
- A swimming costume
- Swimming goggles (not 100 percent essential but almost everybody uses them)
For our Open Water Triathlons- You will probably need a wetsuit for the Dartmouth Triathlon. They are usually optional for the English Riviera Triathlon and for the Dawlish Triathlon. Under British Triathlon rules are compulsory if the water is below 14C. However they can be hired if you're trying an open water triathlon for the first time
Other recommended kit- A race belt. These can save you time in transition as you can just clip on your number instead of having to put on a t-shirt with your race number on. Display your number at the back for the bike leg, then turn it to the front for the run. Sportiva Race Belts cost just £6 from our Shop
- Elastic laces . These cost from about £5. They replace the normal laces in your trainers and can really speed up the switch from biking to running!
- Trisuit. This is a one piece suit suitable for a complete triathlon. See our Triathlon Tips article for further details.
- Bottle cage & bottle for your bike. These cost from about £10 . The bike is the easiest place to take on fluid in a triathlon or duathlon so definitely a good idea to get one.
Are your events British Triathlon affiliated & do I need a day membership?
All our triathlons are British Triathon affiliated and listed on
britishtriathlon.org/. If you do not have annual membership you will need to buy a day membership to take part when you register (£6 or £1 if you are aged under 20 on 31st December of the year of competition. The exception is our GO TRI /Beginners events which do not require a day membership. To keep entry costs down our Donut Duathlon is not British Triathlon affiliated which means you do not need to purchase a day license to take part. However it is run under British Triathlon rules.
